Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Sports Medicine

Volume

54

First Page

1139

Last Page

1162

Publisher

Springer

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences / Centre for Human Performance

RAS ID

70034

Funders

Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions / Australian Government Research Training Program / Defence Science and Technology Group of the Department of Defence and Research Higher Degree Student Grant from the Defence Science Centre / Research Network for Undersea Decision Superiority, Defence Science and Technology Group

Comments

Nuzzo, J. L., Pinto, M. D., Kirk, B. J. C., & Nosaka, K. (2024). Resistance exercise minimal dose strategies for increasing muscle strength in the general population: An overview. Sports Medicine, 54, 1139-1162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02009-0

Abstract

Many individuals do not participate in resistance exercise, with perceived lack of time being a key barrier. Minimal dose strategies, which generally reduce weekly exercise volumes to less than recommended guidelines, might improve muscle strength with minimal time investment. However, minimal dose strategies and their effects on muscle strength are still unclear. Here our aims are to define and characterize minimal dose resistance exercise strategies and summarize their effects on muscle strength in individuals who are not currently engaged in resistance exercise. The minimal dose strategies overviewed were: “Weekend Warrior,” single-set resistance exercise, resistance exercise “snacking,” practicing the strength test, and eccentric minimal doses. “Weekend Warrior,” which minimizes training frequency, is resistance exercise performed in one weekly session. Single-set resistance exercise, which minimizes set number and session duration, is one set of multiple exercises performed multiple times per week. “Snacks,” which minimize exercise number and session duration, are brief bouts (few minutes) of resistance exercise performed once or more daily. Practicing the strength test, which minimizes repetition number and session duration, is one maximal repetition performed in one or more sets, multiple days per week. Eccentric minimal doses, which eliminate or minimize concentric phase muscle actions, are low weekly volumes of submaximal or maximal eccentric-only repetitions. All approaches increase muscle strength, and some approaches improve other outcomes of health and fitness. “Weekend Warrior” and single-set resistance exercise are the approaches most strongly supported by current research, while snacking and eccentric minimal doses are emerging concepts with promising results. Public health programs can promote small volumes of resistance exercise as being better for muscle strength than no resistance exercise at all.

DOI

10.1007/s40279-024-02009-0

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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